The road that led to the US Open victory began at a small centre created to hone tennis talent.

The Club Independiente is proud of its protege.

"The kids worked and were raised in a tennis school. I think that makes the difference. Afterward, I don't know, the innate conditions of each allowed them to get to where they got," said coach Patricia Martignoni,

While waiting for football training to begin, a five-year-old Del Potro picked up a racket to while away time. He began hitting a ball against the club's wall and then there was no looking back.

The Vice-President of the club, Osvaldo Dadiego said, "Of course the great players arise afterward. Some times they have great success and sometimes they don't. But this surely has to do with the work they put into it. Like that of Juan Martin Del Potro, Juan Monaco, Machi, Junqueira, and before that Perez Roldan, Patricia Taravini and so many others. It is because they followed a regimen of hard work."

Apart from Del Potro, the club has produced no less than five pros. The club plans to continue honing champions to win grand slam titles.